


How I met Your Father

by theflyingpan



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, Gender Ambiguous Character, Kinda, NOT A SHIP THING I JUST THOUGHT THE NAME WAS FUNNY, They/Them Pronouns for My Unit | Byleth, character exploration, couldve been a twin au but im weak, how i imagine she did at least, how leonie met jeralt, i think, jeralt needs a break, minor spoilers?, someone gottsa cold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 11:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20620040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyingpan/pseuds/theflyingpan
Summary: Byleth gets sick and Jeralt and his men find themselves stuck in a small town in the middle of nowhere as they recover. Luckily, Jeralt can pass the time by training an enthusiastic young girl with bright orange hair and a strong personality.





	How I met Your Father

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just me thinking, I don't know if we ever get a cannon explanation on how Leonie met Jeralt (or how Byleth never knew) but here's my take

Jeralt sighed as he closed the door after the kind woman, turning to face the bed. Byleth was sleeping like a log, unaware of the stress and torment their father was struggling with for the past few hours. Jeralt walked to the bed and pulled a chair next to it, watching his child and wiping a thin layer of sweat from their forehead.

“All of this mess for a simple cold…” Jeralt sighed again, a small smile tugging at his lips. Granted, Byleth hardly ever got sick. The kid had caught one fever at some point but resolved to just sleep it off, and was healthy and fine in two days time. But Jeralt supposed that his kid must’ve gotten sick _days_ ago, when a mission lasted a bit too long and the rainfall was a bit too cold. Just like their dad, Byleth shrugged it off and hid the small coughs and sluggish movement as best as they could— but things caught up and the next thing he knew, Jeralt watched his kid fall over the moment they stepped into the inn of this small town.  
Of course he panicked, and that only made his men panic as well; the grown mercenary men falling over themselves as their captain, the _legendary blade breaker_, panicked over his kid, who just earned the title “Ashen Demon”. If it wasn’t for the kind inn keeper, who gently felt Byleth’s forehead and deemed the horrible, deadly disease a “harmless cold”, Jeralt was sure his men would start storming the town and nearby area in search of a doctor or mage of any kind.

A cup of tea and some bitter medicine later, Byleth was passed out comfortably in bed and Jeralt’s men were free to settle in the small town and try to forget the <strike>admittedly embarrassing</strike> ordeal. Jeralt smiled a bit. It had been a long time since he felt that kind of worry, and while he was not happy that his kid didn’t take proper care of themselves, he was happy he was able to finally be a father and care for his child. A shy knock shook Jeralt from his thoughts, and he walked over to the door. He opened it, assuming it was the nice inn keeper again, and was surprised to see nothing in his field of vision.

“u-um, Hello s-sir!” A small voice called out, and when he looked down Jeralt saw a small child, no more than a few years younger than his own (maybe? how long has it been now?) holding a tray of tea and shaking a bit. Jeralt winced— he nearly forgot he tended to frighten children with his hard face and large build, and it probably didn’t help that he wore menacing armor and had a few facial scars.

“Hey there, uh, kid. That for me?” He smiled weakly, watching the child shake even more after being addressed. The kid nodded and shoved the tray towards him, eyes wide and arms shaking. Jeralt took the tray and thought of some way to calm the kid down before they start crying, but the kid was faster.

“A-are you really _J-jeralt_?? Th-the legendary bl-blade break-breaker??” The kid, who he identified as female, was holding her hands by her chest, eyes wider as she looked him up and down. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. Of course his reputation would reach even the smallest of towns.

“Yeah, that’s me alight. Uh theres no need to worry, I won’t hur-“

“**WOW!** How **cool**!” She yelled, interrupting him and making him jump a bit. Her eyes were even wider now, but instead of fear there was a shine of wonder and joy. “I-its nice to meet you sir!” She smiled at him, and it took Jeralt a few seconds to remind himself that children tend to be overly expressive (all those years with Byleth made him forget how emotional kids can be). He smiled and put the tray aside, kneeling down to get eye level with the girl. She was smiling wide and staring at him in awe, legs still shaking but with the sense of excitement rather than fear.

“It’s nice to meet you too kid, got a name?” He asked, and the girl got even more excited—if possible.

“My name is Leonie! I live here and I love horses and exploring and I help out like a hero and give advice and tell people who are lost where to go and I am really good at giving orders to the other kids and I can beat them in a fight and I-” Wow, once this kid opened her mouth, the floodgates couldn’t be closed. Jeralt felt a small smile creep on his face as he watched the kid— or rather, watched Leonie, talk about the town and herself.

“_Leonie_! I told you not to bother the poor man!” Jeralt turned and saw the inn keeper, sighing and shaking her head. She walked over and gently put a hand over Leonie’s mouth, smiling at him. “I’m sorry, she insisted on serving you some tea when she learned of your name. I should’ve known she would start talking your ear off.” Jeralt laughed a bit and stood up, brushing his knees.

“It’s quite alright, really.” He smiled. “I could use a distraction from my, well, current situation.” He stole a glance back at his own kid, fast asleep and not even bothered by the commotion.

“I-i’m sorry Mr. Jeralt sir!” Leonie gasped, once she was able to dislodge the hand from over her mouth. “I-I didn’t mean to b-bother you!” She looked down a bit, crushed. Jeralt smiled and ruffled her short orange hair.

“Don’t sweat it kid, I wasn’t bothered at all.” He laughed a bit and jerked a thumb back at Byleth’s sleeping form. “As long as _this_ one doesn’t wake up and try to train on their own again, everything is fine.” Leonie looked past him, seeing Byleth on the bed and acknowledging them before turning back to Jeralt, nodding.

“I’m sure you had a long day sir, we’ll leave you alone to rest a bit” The inn keeper smiled, trying to drag Leonie away and failing. Jeralt gently closed the door behind him and shook his head.

“It’s alright, I need to check up on my men anyway. But I don’t know where they went off too.” He sighed, crossing his arms and frowning. “I don’t know this town that well, if only I had a _reliable_ guide…” A small hand shot up and he smiled, glancing at Leonie. Her face was red and her cheeks were puffed up, as if she was trying desperately to stay quiet and hold in her excitement. It didn’t last long.

“**I’LL DO IT MR. JERALT SIR!!!!**” She yelled, her shyness from earlier long gone. Jeralt laughed and let the young girl lead him out of the Inn and all over town, tracking down his men and letting them know how long they would be staying. It was sunset when the two returned to the inn, tired but pleased at their work.

“We make a good team kid.” Jeralt smiled and ruffled Leonie’s hair, watching the smile all but break her face. He wasn’t sure he saw any kid smile as much as she did when he was around, let alone praising her.

“It’s no problem Mr. Jeralt! As long as you are here you can count on me!” She declared, puffing her chest out and grinning. Jeralt nodded as he turned to the inn doors.

“I’ll keep that in mind kid, oh and Leonie?” He stopped and turned back to her. “Thank you for today, let me know if I can return the favor, ok?” Leonie stared in shock at him. Him?? Jeralt the legendary blade breaker, owing _HER_ a favor?? Her mind could hardly process it. Jeralt shook his head again with a smile and waved before walking inside. After checking on his own kid, he relaxed in the chair beside the bed and thought about the excitable child who showed him around the town. A weeks stay sounded impossibly long when the Inn keeper told him how long Byleth needed to rest, but Jeralt could think of a few ways to pass the time. 

* * *

Early the next morning Jeralt was woken from his sleep by loud bangs on his door. He walked over and opened it with a yawn, surprised that Byleth still hasn’t woken up from the noise.

“Mr. Jeralt sir!!” Leonie nearly yell, shaking in her books yet again and struggling to stand straight. “I-I thought of a way you can-you can repay me!” She announced, and Jeralt smiled a bit as sleep left his body.

“Oh really? How so?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.

“C-could you, you please—Could you _please_ train me to be a mercenary like you??” Leonie burst out, clenching her fists and leaning forward. Her eyes, along with the rest of her body, all but begged him to say yes— and Jeralt smiled again. Yes, a week of waiting patiently for his child to get well again and wake up would be torturous, but he knew a good way to clear his mind.

“Sure kid, why not?”

Jeralt was even more surprised that the shrill scream of delight that left Leonie's mouth didn't even cause his kid to stir in the bed.

**Author's Note:**

> If Byleth can sleep for five years through a war then they probably slept the entire time Jeralt was hanging out with Leonie


End file.
